Sword of the Stars expands

Lighthouse has revealed that a new expansion for Sword of the Stars is in development.

Born of Blood is due to be released in September and will add a host of content including a new alien race.

These Zuul will be able to enslave people to boost production on their fortress worlds, and will have access to more than 80 ship sections and Tunnel Drive FTL technology. Which sounds ominous. We think. FTL.

On top of that there'll be 15 new weapons to do the killing with and 25 new technologies to research. Those of you who like to talk will find the new diplomatic Data and Comm systems interesting, and brushed up AI should make for more engrossing gameplay.

There's also a swathe of nips and tucks across the board, as well as a couple of new scenarios and a handful of new galaxy types.

The expansion isn't a standalone product and will require the the original game to play.

Sword of the Stars was released late last year to average critical applause. It's a "4x" title set in space, which basically means it's similar to Civilization; based around exploration, expansion, exploitation and extermination.